Policy makers at the COP29 climate change conference have been urged to act on “super pollutant” greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming.
A new report launched at the conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, claims certain gases – dubbed super pollutants – contribute to almost half of current global warming.
The study highlights the impact tropospheric ozone is having and warns its impact is often overlooked by governments and policy makers.
It claims tropospheric ozone has contributed to approximately 0.23 degrees Celsius of global warming to date.
It also cites an estimated half a million premature deaths each year linked to tropospheric ozone exposure.
And it claims it is responsible for up to a 26% decrease in global crop yields, threatening food security worldwide.
It also notes how some global companies, including the Inter IKEA Group, logistics company Maersk, and consumer healthcare company Haleon have implemented reporting measures to help combat tropospheric ozone.
The analysis by the Clean Air Fund with the Clean Air Task Force, Clean Air Institute and Hill Consulting calls for urgent and immediate global action to address these super pollutant gases.
The Clean Air Fund’s head of super pollutants, Tom Grylls said as well as troposphere ozone, these gases also include methane and black carbon in an interview.
Grylls explained they are more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of climate change and global warming, and research shows almost half (45%) of global warming today can be attributed to super pollutants.
Black carbon is often referred to as referred to as soot and comes from burning fossil fuels or waste.
Grylls told me when black carbon is in the atmosphere, it absorbs incoming sunlight and warms the air.
When it lands on the ground, particularly in areas covered in snow or ice, it can also warm the ground up
But Grylls added black carbon only hangs around in the climate for a short period of time, so if emissions can be reduced, the effect on the atmosphere would be felt relatively quickly.
He said tropospheric ozone is essentially the smog or haze people often see over cities, impacts the lungs and can exacerbate medical conditions like asthma.
And he said tropospheric ozone can disrupt the process of photo synthesis.
In terms of agriculture, Grylls said it can lead to the slower growth of crops and diseases, and when it comes to forestry it can also impact the ability of trees to absorb carbon.
“Tropospheric ozone is not emitted like other pollutants,” he explained. “It actually forms in the atmosphere, based on reactions from other pollutants.
“In order to act on this, we really need to get more governments to sign up to the global methane pledge and deliver on those commitments, because methane is one of the main things that’s causing the ozone problem.
“We also need them to work on other precursor pollutants that are currently off the climate agenda.
“And really to do that, we need governments and businesses to take an integrated approach looking at air pollution and climate change together,” added Grylls.
And lastly methane can be generated from agriculture, waste and energy production, and has a “very large climate effect”, according to Grylls.
The Clean Air Fund’s founder and chief executive, Jane Burston, said air pollution is one of the greatest threats to human health and the climate in an email.
Burston said super pollutants like tropospheric ozone and black carbon are also driving climate change at an alarming rate.
But she said air quality remains a “critical but under-addressed issue” in COP climate negotiations.
“At COP29, governments must recognise the urgent need for action on air pollution, especially super pollutants, and the funding required to make real progress,” she said.
“We need targeted investments in clean air solutions that deliver both climate and health benefits – a double win for our communities and the planet.”
